Quick acting positive contact switch



Nov. 18, I941. I J, ROPER 2,262,777

QUICK ACTING POSITIVE CONTACT SWITCH Filed Sept. 21, 1940 INVENTOR JOHNI1. ROPE/Q Patented Nov. v18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE QUICKACTING POSITIVE CONTACT SWITCH John M. Roper, Washington, D. 0.Application September 21, 194o, sriai No. 357,687

4 Claims. (01. 200-159) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) This invention relates to a quickacting positive contact switch, and has for an object to provide areliable positive 'quick acting contact switch for use in the electricalcircuits of armament and other equipment on airplanes or elsewhere.

A further object of this invention is to provide a snap action switchfor instantaneously making and breaking a circuit, thereby preventingdelayed action in armament equipment, as in the release of bombs or thefiring of guns.

A further object of this invention is to provide a quick action switchwhich may be located conveniently, such as on the end of the joy stickof a single place airplane.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a switch ofsimple construction and free from defective parts or parts liable tobecome defective in use, one sample switch of this inven- I tion havingalready been tested for 50,000 operations without any noticeable sign ofdeterioration or wear.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists inthe construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterdescribed and illustrated in the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through the switch of this invention; and

Fig. 2 is a partly sectional and partly elevational view of thegrounding flanged ring and its attached contact.

There is shown at III the contact switch of this invention whichincludes a snap action con cave-convex disc II constructed of bronze orother resilient metal, and has its peripheral edge supported on agrounding flanged ring I2 to which is secured, as by silver solder I3,one of the contact poles I4. A tungsten contact point I5 is fastened tothe disc II by means of a rivet I6 for making contact, when depressed bya finger button ll of insulating material, with the tungsten contactpoint I8 integrally mounted on a metal sleeve secured on the othercontact pole 2|. This sleeve 20 has a projecting flange 22 formoresecurely anchoring it within the molded lower housing portion 23, inwhich is also secured the grounding flanged ring I2 and its attachedcontact pole I4. The upper molded housing portion 24 is secured to thelower housing portion 23 by means of a pressed metal casting 25thereabouts, the upper housing portion 24 having a counterbored opening26 through which the finger button I'I extends, the finger'buttonagainst the counterbored shoulder 28 by the pressure of the contact discII and its rivet I6.

In operation, the electrical conductors of the desired circuit aresuitably connected to the conto press against the top of rivet I6 andthen the contact disc yields with a snap action, permitting a quick andpositive contact of the tungsten contact point I5 with the tungstencontact point I8, thereby completing the circuit from the contact poleI4 through the grounding flanged ring I2, disc II, the tungsten contactpoints I 5 and I8, the sleeve 20 and the contact pole 2|. These tungstencontact points I5 and I8 are normally held one-sixteenth of aninchapart, sumcient to interrupt the circuit yet short enough to makepractically an instantaneous completion of the circuit when the fingerbutton I1 is depressed.

As shown in Fig. 2, it will be observed that the grounding flanged ringI2 has a recessed surface 30 on whichv the peripheral edge of the discII rests and over which it moves with a wiping motion as the fingerbutton I1 is depressed, thereby assuring a certain and clean connectionbetween the disc I and the ring I2.

Other modifications and changes in the number and arrangements of theparts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from thenature of the invention, within the scope of what is hereinafterclaimed.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and/or used by or forthe Government of the United States of America for govemmental purposeswithout the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, whatis claimed is:

1. A quick acting push button positive contact switch comprising aconcavo-convex disc, a flanged ring on which said concavo-convex discrests, the peripheral edge of said disc be in wiping, self-cleaningcontact with said ring, a contact point secured to the center of theconcave side of said disc, push button means for depressing said disc tocause it to snap, a sec- II being provided with a flanged base 21 held0nd contact point spaced from said first con- 2 i 2,262,777 r v iflanged ring, and an insulating housing molded tact point within thepath of movement of said first contact point as it is moved by the snapaction of said disc. and a contact pole member to which said secondcontact point is connected. 2. A quick acting push button contact switchcomprising a concavo-convex disc. a flanged ring on which saidconcave-convex disc rests, a contact point secured to the center of theconcave side of said disc, push button means for depressing said disc tocause it to snap, a second contact point spaced from saidflrst contactpoint within the path of movement of said first contact point as it ismoved by the snap action of said disc, a contact pole member to whichsaid second contact point is connected, a second contact pole memberconnected to said flanged ring,

and an insulating housing molded about said contact pole members andsaid flanged ring portion securing them in proper spaced relation.

3. A quick acting push button positive contact switch comprising aconcavo-convex disc, 9.,

flanged ring on which said concavo-convex disc rests, a contact pointsecured to the center of the concave side-of said disc, push buttonmeans for depressing saidvdisc to cause it to snap, a second contactpoint spaced from said flrst contact point within the path of movementof said 5 first contact point as it is moved by the snap,

action 01' said disc. 8. contact pole member to which said secondcontact point is connected, 8. second contact pole member connected tosaid about said contact pole members and said flanged ring portionsecuring them in proper spaced relation, the peripheral edge of saidconcavo-convex disc resting in a recessed surface of said flanged ring,thereby providing a self-cleaning contact between said disc and saidflanged ring.

4. A quick acting push button positive contact switch comprising aconcavo-convex disc, a flanged ring on which said concavo-convex discrests, a contact point secured to the center of the concave side of saiddisc, push button means flanged ring, an insulating housing portionmolded about said contact pole members and said flanged ring portionsecuring them in proper spaced relation, 8. second insulating housingportion, said second portion being counterbored, said disc depressingpush button means comprising a flanged flnger button extending throughsaid counterbored housing portion, and a pressed metal casing securingsaid housing portions into a unitary structure.

' JOHN M. ROPER.

